Fraternities In Texas, Florida Shut Down For Hazing

Two fraternity chapters have been effectively shuttered for hazing violations.

At Prairie View A&M in Texas, Phi Beta Sigma was disbanded following the October death of Donnie Wade Jr.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Wade, 20, died during an "intense physical training session":

The [Wade] family's wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Wade was deprived of fluids while undergoing the intense exercise session that included running bleachers, holding his legs 6 inches off the ground, and doing pushups and jumping jacks.

The alleged systemic hazing had included forcing pledges to live on a strict bread-and-water diet.

Wade's autopsy revealed that he died from acute exertional rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition caused by aggressive physical activity. The fraternity allegedly tried to cover up details relating to the student's death.

This is the second fraternity closing in a matter of weeks. The Associated Press reports that the University of Central Florida's chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi was shut down earlier this month resulting from a phone call to the university from the mother of a recruit last fall. The woman claimed that her son had been "severely beaten with canes" by fraternity members.